Microsoft Begins Phasing Out Office Starter Edition

Microsoft has announced this week that it has started phasing out its Office Starter Edition, which provides users with a stripped-down, ad-laced version of Word and Excel. Which was previously made available to OEM PC Partners and system builds as part of an OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK).

Microsoft explained that effective immediately, the Office 2010 Transition OPK will replaces prior versions of the Office 2010 OPK, which comes without the Office Starter Edition included. Microsoft made the announcement to its OEM PC Partners saying:

“We will begin to phase out the shipment of PCs with Office Starter 2010,” – “After Windows 8 becomes available, most new PCs shipped will not have Office Starter. People who use Office Starter 2010 today will continue to be able to use the product for the life of their PC. For Windows7/Office Starter 2010 users who want to upgrade their PC to Windows 8 and continue using Office Starter 2010, they will have to install an update to Microsoft Office 2010 which is available today.”

The move by Microsoft is to offer a replacement via its Office Web Apps going forward, together with the release of Office 2013 which is still currently under development.